Daniel J. Phillips, who wrote and directed Awoken, faced a decision: craft a film about demonic possession or one centered on insomnia. Both types of stories are common; however, very few movies explore fatal familial insomnia (FFI). Unfortunately, Phillips made the wrong choice. FFI is exceptionally uncommon, but that shouldn't be cause for trivialization—quite the contrary. I was previously unfamiliar with it and only became aware of its existence through Awoken, which is a positive thing. Though, afterward, I needed to look into it just to confirm it’s an actual condition, as opposed to something made up. This leads to another question: what's the point of combining these two concepts? Within the film, FFI appears to be either brought on by or serves as a pathway for demonic possession. The demon featured in the movie is surprisingly uninspired; it can only inhabit individuals who have been deprived of sleep for an extended period—a far cry from characters like Azazel in Fallen, who could possess people simply through physical contact. Furthermore, the demon in Awoken has a peculiar tendency to allow its hosts to take their own lives just as it’s supposedly preparing to depart. It's unclear what it’s trying to escape from. If a demon desires freedom, one would expect it to prioritize exiting bodies rather than entering them. The movie could have been significantly improved if Phillips had simply eliminated the supernatural aspects. The situation is similar to My Sister’s Keeper, which dealt with the unusual topic of donor children/savior siblings. That film isn't flawless, but it is straightforward and treats its subject matter with respect. Awoken, on the other hand, handles FFI in a way that feels like The Exorcist blended with a strange version of Freddy Krueger.

Source on TMDB